It points out that “the waters of Sri Lanka are home to an incredible range of marine creatures from massive blue whales all the way through to tiny nudibranch”.

“Sri Lanka has an abundance of great sites to discover including great wreck dives which are scattered off the coast. Local divers are still discovering new wrecks as they explore the waters of this island nation.”

This PADI report is also pretty complementary about Sri Lanka’s other atractions: “wildlife reserves, which protect native species such as leopards, porcupines and anteaters” and “its unique foods and amazing teas, which should be sampled as part of any dive trip”.

Great Dives

Barracuda Reef A great dive site waiting to be explored off the coast of Mount Lavinia near Colombo.

Cargo Wreck The 295ft wreck of the cargo-carrier Pecheur Breton lies 65ft down at its shallowest point, and is a haven for a wide variety of marine life.

Panadura Wreck Lying in 40ft of water, this is a popular wreck for certified divers.

Taprobane Reefs Some of the best diving in Sri Lanka was celebrated by science-fiction writer and long-time Sri Lankan resident Authur C. Clarke.

Goda Gala Diyamba An underwater rock formation off the Unawatuna beach resort is loaded with large fish such as trevally and Napoleon wrasse.

HMS Hermes This World War II wreck was the world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier. Because of the depth, you will need PADI TecRec training.